Liquid cooler



50ct. 30, 1934. A. H. BAER 1,978,616

LIQUID COOLER Filed oct. v12,Y 1953 2 sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 30, 1934. AA H BAER 1,978,616

LIQUID COOLER Filed oct. 12. 193s 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Oct. 30, 1934 LIQUDv COOLER Alvin H. Baer, Carbondale, Pa., assignor to The Carbondale Machine Company, Carbondale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvaniav Application october 12,

14 Claims.

My invention relates to a. liquid cooler and it isan object of the same to provide a device which shall be effective to cool a large'quantity of liquid in a relatively short time, the device being so 5 arranged as to permit a rapid flow of liquid and including pipes for refrigerant which pipes are active' on the liquid throughout substantially their entire length so as toprovide a highly ecient heat transfer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described, consisting of sections which may be put out of action independently so as to vary the output of cooled liquid readily in accordance with the requirements of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described in which there shall be no waste due to splashing or t'o other causes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the an'nexed specification.

Referring to the drawings, which are made a part of this application and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section on line l-lof Fig. 3,

Fig. 2, a vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, a similar section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

,Fig 4, a detail of parts shown in Fig. l, on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 5, a section on line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings reference character 10 indicates a container or tank into which the device of my invention may be inserted as a self-contained unit which may be removed therefrom bodily. This unit comprises end walls 11 and a plurality of vertical side walls and partitions `12 al1 of which may be alike and which are secured together by bolts 13. Fill pieces 14 are interposed between the partitions and side walls, these fill pieces being held in place by the bolts 13 and by screws or other fastenings 15 which may be driven through end pieces 11 into the ends of the fill pieces so as to make a rigid structure. -It will be noted that the lowermost ll piece 14 is at some distance from the bottom of the selfcontained unit so as to leave room for the storage of a reserved supply of water or other liquid, which ordinarily should not rise above the lower surface of said bottom ll piece. Preferably, but not necessarily, the fill pieces are made of waterproofed wood fibre or metal while the side members and partitions are metal sheets, any suitable material being used as may be desirable.

It will be seen that with the arrangement of fill pieces shown in Fig. 1 there is a continuous the unit and an inlet distributing header is shown at 16 from which pipes 17, 18,- etc., lead to the several tortuous passages or labyrinths between respective pairs of partitions 12. Water or other tortuous channel from the top to the bottom of 1933, serial No. 693,378

(Cl. 257-.-245) y liquid will flow from the header 16 through the pipes to the various labyrinths and the pipe may be provided with valves 17', 18T or other suitable means for shutting off the flow to any desirednumber of the labyrinths, so as to vary the output o'f the cooler as may be desired. A pipe such as that indicated at 19 provides an outlet for the cooled liquid, which may be drawn off by a pump or in any other desirable manner.

For cooling the liquid flowing down through the labyrinths I provide means comprising an accumulator 20 for vaporizable refrigerant, it being understood that any suitable medium for `this purpose may be used in the device. A pipe 21 leads downward from the accumulator, to a liquid header 22 and pipes 23 lead from the header to the lowermost part of each of the tortuous passages, these pipes being bent to provide zig zag coils extending through the successive limbs of the labyrinth to the-top of the device whence they pass into the accumulator at their ends as indicated at 24, the pipes extending above the liquid level at 25 in the accumulator so that gas evolved in the pipes as a result of the risein temperature of the vaporizable refrigerant enters the accumulator above the liquid level therein and may pass off through a gas outlet 26 to a suitable compresser or the like. The inclined zig zag portions of the pipes are supported at about the middle of the passages between the fillers 14, preferably by pins 2'7 of relatively small thickness so as to interfere as little. as possible with the desired rapid ow of the liquid to be cooled in the labyrinth. It will be understood that there is a continuous zig zag coil in each separate labyrinth between the members 12 and that each pipe with its independent labyrinth constitutes an independent cooling unit so far as concerns the operation of the device.

An inlet for supplying refrigerating medium is indicated at 28 in Fig. 3 and a suitable float controlled valve is provided at 29 to maintain the liquid in the accumulator at the desired level. A drain'30 is shown in Fig. 4 this being controlled by a v'alve 31.

In the operation of my device refrigerating liquid is supplied to the accumulator through the float controlled inlet 28 and ows'down through pipe 21 to the header 22,y thence through the pipes 23 of the various labyrinths upward through ,V

Ythe unit, the evolved'vapor passing out of pipes 24to the upper part of the accumulator and so to the gas outlet 26, the lunvaporizcdportion returning to the accumulator and continuing in circulation. The water or other liquid to, be cooled'is supplied by a header 16 through the individual inlet pipes to the various sections of the unit and flows down through the continuous; completely finished passages dened by the members 12 and the fillers 14, this flow being in the opposite direction to that of the refrigerant. Due tothe central arrangement of the limbs of the refrigerant pipes in their channels the downpipes and the adjacent members 12 the operation of the device will not be disturbed to any serious extent as there is still ample space for the flow of water and further formation of ice will take place only at thetop and bottom surface of the pipes, as ice will form only where water flows. The ice will of course be removed automatically as soon as the temperature of the liquid in the channel is increased or upon elevation of temperature of the refrigerant: It'is preferred to havethe refrigerant always at such a temperature as to cool the-counterI flowing liquid without freezing but considerable freezing may occur without detriment to the apparatus.

`It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many changes may be made in the structure illustrated and in its use for various purposes. For example, the direction of flow of the refrigerant and of the liquid to be treated is immaterial, and the coils and liquid passages need 4not necessarily lbe in vertical planes nor need the respective outlets be at the top and bottom of the unit, etc. Therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, nor to any special or technical meanings of terms, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

, Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a heat exchange device, a unit comprising means for supplying liquid to said passages at their upper ends, ,and means for causing a fluid medium of different temperature to act on said liquid while in said passages.

2. In a heat exchange device, a unit comprising a series of parallel walls, fillers between said walls arranged to provide therewith separate labyrinthine passages continuous through the unit, means for creating a ow of liquid in said passages, and pipes in said passages for conducting a fluid of different temperature in heat exchanging relation with said liquid in said passages.

3. A device as in claim 2, said pipes being supported centrally of their respective passages.

4. A device as in claim 2, and pins arranged along said passages for supporting said pipes.

5. In a heat exchange device, a unit comprising a series of parallel non-circular walls, fillers between said walls arranged to provide therewith separate continuous labyrinthine passages each extending continuously downward through the unit, means for supplying -liquid independently to the various passages, and means for causing a vaporized refrigerant to act on said liquid while in said passages.

6. In a liquid cooler, a unit comprising a set of continuous parallel wall members, fillers between said wall members arranged to provide therewith continuous separate labyrinthine passages extending substantially from top to bottom of the unit, means for creating 'in such passages a flow of liquid to be cooled, and means for creating in each such passage a counteriiow of refrigerant segregated from the liquid to be cooled.

7. In'a heat exchange device, a unit comprising a series of parallel walls, llers between said walls arranged to provide therewith separatel labyrinthine passages continuous through the unit, means for creating a ow of liquid insaid passages, pipes in said passages for conducting a uid of diierent temperature in heat exchanging relation with said liquid in said passages, a supply header common to said pipes, and means for selectively stopping the ow in said pipes.

8. In a heat exchange device, a unit comprising a series of parallel walls, fillers between said walls arranged to provide therewith separate labyrinthine passages continuous through the unit, means for creating a ow of liquid in said passages, pipes Kin said passages for conducting a uid of different temperature in heat exchanging relation with said liquid in said passages, a header at the bottom of the unit common to said pipes, and an accumulator above the unit for supplying refrigerant to said header, said pipes extending from said header through said labyrinthine passages and to said accumulator at a point above the liquid level therein.

9. In a heat exchange device, a unit comprising a series of parallel at vertical walls, and a vertical series of spacersbetween said walls arranged to provide therewith separate zigzag passages continuous through the unit, said passages being of substantially uniform cross-section and gradient from top to bottom.

10. In a heat exchange device, a unit comprising a series of parallel walls, a vertical row of V-shaped fillers each filler having its base against one end wall and its apex extending nearly to the opposite end wall and alternate fillers being oppositely located whereby said llers dene a zigzag passage in a vertical plane through the unit.

, 11. In a heat exchange device, a unit comprising parallel walls', a row of V-shaped fillers between said walls each' filler having its apex near one end wall and its base against the other and successive fillers being reversely arranged whereby said llers and walls define a closed continuousv zigzag passage through the unit.

12. In a heat exchange device, means providing an inclined passage for liquid, a pipe located centrally of said passage and extending lengthlimbs arranged approximately centrally of theV limbs of said passage.

14. In a heat exchange device, parallel wall members, fillers between said wall members providing therewith a continuous zigzag passage, in j',

a vertical plane, and a vertical zigzag coil following said passage and having its inclined parts supported in spaced relation to the bottom wall f of the respective inclined portions of said' passage.

. ALVIN H. BAER. 

